Green pesto minestrone

Green pesto minestrone

By Esther Clark
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(17 ratings)
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Prep: 10 mins Cook: 25 mins

Easy

Serves 4

A generous grating of parmesan balances the citrus in this fresh, healthy pesto soup. A simple veggie supper you can serve with fluffy garlic flatbreads

Nutrition and extra info

  • Healthy
  • Vegetarian

Nutrition: per serving

  • kcal334
  • fat17g
  • saturates5g
  • carbs24g
  • sugars9g
  • fibre8g
  • protein19g
  • salt1.4g
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Ingredients

  • 2 tbsp olive oil
    olive oil

    Olive oil

    ol-iv oyl

    Probably the most widely-used oil in cooking, olive oil is pressed from fresh olives. It's…

  • 1 large onion, finely chopped
    Onion

    Onion

    un-yun

    Onions are endlessly versatile and an essential ingredient in countless recipes. Native to Asia…

  • 2 celery sticks, finely chopped
  • 1.4l vegetable stock
  • 2 small lemons, zested and juiced
    Lemon

    Lemon

    le-mon

    Oval in shape with a pronouced bulge on one end, lemons are one of the most versatile…

  • 170g orzo
  • 120g frozen peas
  • 250g frozen spinach
    Spinach

    Spinach

    spin-atch

    Used in almost every cuisine across the world, spinach is an enormously popular green vegetable…

  • 50g pesto
    Pesto

    Pesto

    Pess-toh

    Pesto is a generic Italian name for any sauce made by pounding ingredients together.

    The…

  • garlic flatbreads, to serve (optional)
  • 60g parmesan (or vegetarian alternative), grated
    Parmesan

    Parmesan

    parm-ee-zan

    Parmesan is a straw-coloured hard cheese with a natural yellow rind and rich, fruity flavour. It…

Method

  1. Heat the oil in a large saucepan, add the onion, celery and a pinch of salt, and fry for 8 mins until soft. Add the stock with the zest and juice of the lemons, and season. Stir in the orzo and cook for 5 mins, then add the peas and spinach, and cook for a further 5 mins. Swirl though the pesto and season.

  2. Heat the flatbreads, if using, following pack instructions. Ladle the soup generously into bowls and top with a handful of parmesan. Serve with the flatbread to dip.

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Comments, questions and tips

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camillymilly
6th Nov, 2018
4.05
Really easy and tasty - mine didn't come out as soup, more of a saucy pasta dish so it was more filling than expected but just what you need on a cold day.
k1424613
5th Jan, 2017
great
Mrsdivsmo
19th Feb, 2017
Can this be made and kept to eat throughout the week? Im thinking of making it for myself for lunches at work. Would it work being reheated? Thanks
goodfoodteam's picture
goodfoodteam
28th Feb, 2017
Thanks for your question. This soup is at its best when served fresh but it will reheat pretty well. We always suggest eating leftovers within two days so if you want to keep it for longer than that, we'd suggest freezing it (in portions) on the day of making and getting it out when you want it. The pasta tends to absorb the liquid so it won't be quite the same firm texture after a day. You can always add the pesto when you reheat it for added freshness.
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